Punjab BJP chief asks Centre to release all Sikh political prisoners at earliest

A delegation of the coordination committee members on Wednesday met Shekhawat, during which BJP’s Phagwara candidate, Vijay Sampla, was also present. The delegation presented a memorandum regarding the release of prisoners. During the meeting, Shekhawat held a telephonic conversation with Amit Shah in front of the committee members. The delegation that met Sekhawat on Wednesday also included Bhai Hardeep Singh Dibdiba, President of Rajasthan Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, Gurcharan Singh, Sukhdev Singh Phagwara, and farmer leaders Gurpal Singh Amarjit Singh Sandhu, among others.

Shekhawat told the committee members as well as media persons later that soon positive development may take place regarding a notification issued in 2019 about the release of political prisoners from jails. The political prisoners included Devinder Pal Bhullar, amd Gurdip Singh Khera, who have already completed their sentences. The death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was involved in the killing of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, may also soon be commuted to life in prison.

The Union government, in a notification issued in 2019 — during the 550th Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev ji — had recommended the release of these political detainees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address three rallies in Punjab ahead of the February 20 elections. The coordination committee had recently said that it will announce its protest plan once the programmes of the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are made public regarding their Punjab visits. On January 5, PM had to return from back from Punjab without addressing after there was a breach in his security.